Congratulations to Bill McLennan, Recipient of the CMA Award for Distinguished Service

Bill McLennan on a dirt bike going to the Health and Earth Rights Training Center (HEART) in Mae Sot, Thailand, 2011.Photo Credit: Museum of Anthropology.

We would like to extend our congratulations to Bill McLennan, the Museum of Anthroplogy's Curator, Pacific Northwest, for receiving the Canadian Museums Association for Distinguished Service. Established in 2006, this CMA award recognizes the accomplished career of a dedicated museum professional to the museum sector. Bill has worked at MOA for over 37 years and has made significant contributions to the museum field. He has co-authored The Transforming Image alongside Karen Duffek and is widely respected as a curator working in the field of Northwest Coast First Nations art and culture.

Kesu: The Art and Life of Doug Cranmer

Kwakwaka'wakw artist Doug Cranmer was a mentor, teacher and an inspiration to his students. He was a modest man, preferring to have his artistic skills known as "whittling" or "doodling", however, his understated pieces are known today among Northwest Coast collectors as influential works of art.

Currently on exhibit at UBC's Museum of Anthropology is Kesu: The Art and Life of Doug Cranmer. The exhibition displays a wide range of Doug's work in two and three dimensions in wood and paint, including totem poles, bentwood boxes, a canoe and the iconic 'Abstract' painting series on mahogany plywood. The exhibition has been curated by Dr. Jennifer Kramer, who has written an accompanying book, which is available at the gallery.

The exhibition will run until September 3, 2012.

MOA Receives Friedman Collection of Bill Reid's Early Works

UBC's Museum of Anthropology has received a generous donation of eleven of Bill Reid's early works from Dr. Sydney Friedman. The new pieces are valued at over $500,000 and display Reid's technical ability and artistic experimentation at a time when he was first learning European goldsmithing techniques including repousse, casting and overlay. Dr. Friedman and his wife Constance Freidman, who passed away in June 2011, were very prolific scholars and active members of UBC's medical departments and together had published over 200 papers. Their diverse collection will expand MOA's Bill Reid collection to over 250 pieces and has been on display since March 1, 2012.

Photo Credit: MOA

Spring 2012 Newsletter

Our Spring 2012 Newsletter is now available. Inside, we feature Haida artist Gwaai Edenshaw's newest collection, Naxiin, from his unique jewellery line, Regalia. We also list the final winning bids from our 2011 Annual Charity Bentwood Box event and you'll find information about KESU', an exhibit featuring the art and life of Kwakwaka'wakw artist Doug Cranmer at UBC's Museum of Anthropology. We are also pleased to announce our upcoming exhibition on June 16th which will showcase the painted works of various Northwest Coast artists. Take a look at our notables for some interesting new pieces here at the gallery!

Carl Beam Exhibition at MOA

The Museum of Anthropology is currently exhibiting Carl Beam, curated by Greg Hill and organized by the National Gallery of Canada. Carl Beam (1943-2005) was an artist of Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) heritage who was born in M'Chigeeng on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. Beam was an artist who was recognized for integrating Indigenous global views into a wide range of cultural, political and historical concerns in order to challenge and disrupt the conventions of Aboriginal identity and cultural production in Canada. His artistic technique incorporated collage-style layering and used a variety of different mediums, both of which enhanced his bold exploration of social issues.

Beam's work has been exhibited throughout North America and in Italy, Denmark, Germany and China, and is included in collections in Canadian and international galleries including the National Gallery of Canada, the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo, N.Y.

The exhibition features 50 of Beam's most influential works throughout his 30-year career including his monumental-scale paintings, constructions, ceramics and video. This show is on exhibition until May 28, 2011.